Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Kris Boyd show, Portland edition

The league's newest DP is a haggis fan, presumably. Think John Spencer, a former Scottish striker himself, had any play in this deal? Toughie.

I love that the YouTube description of that first video begins with "A wee collection..." Love the Scots.

One plump, juicy fact to get you excited if you're a fan of the league itself: Boyd is only 28. Look, the league has to fight back these international eye rolls every time a 33-year-old on the shaded slope of his career decides on an extended vacation Stateside. While Boyd isn't exactly in the meaty center of his career, he's not a decrepit 37-year-old, either. This move has immediate cache beyond age. Boyd is a proven goal scorer. He's bagged more goals than anybody in SPL history and I'd venture a guess that he can sidle up to any Rangers-supported bar in the world and get a free pint for his contributions.

There are some concerns that Portland fans are most likely glazing over in the calming glare that immediately follows most DP signings. Boyd may be better than Kenny Cooper, but he's not much more fleet of foot. Once he drifts out of the box - an occasion that is unfortunately rare - his skill set diminishes quickly. Cooper's issue were his rocks for feet, for which he has always ably compensated with a penchant for goals. Once that dried up, Portland recognized his lack of value and pawned him off to a woebegone front office that would be more than fine ponying up a few draft picks for dead footballers. If Boyd can do anything, it's score. And score he will.

Boyd can poach with the best of them, and he's a lethal finisher. He's a strapping lad at 6-foot-1, and I'd be surprised if he didn't have the bottle to stay upright in a physical league like ours. His 3-year deal with Turkish club Eskişehirspor ended in tatters with Boyd hurling a lawsuit at the club for failure to pay his salary. Since ending a loan spell with Nottingham Forest in the spring of 2011, Boyd has played just 78 minutes of first-team soccer, so the resuscitation of his career is a prime motivator as well. Concerns aside, Portland fans can be happy with the transaction. You can bet Jack Jewsbury just perked up.

Who is NSC?

NSC is run by Greg Seltzer (MLSsoccer.com), who has reported on soccer across the globe since 2001, covering MLS, U.S. Men, Women & Youth national teams, World Cup, Gold Cup, U-20 World Cup, the UEFA European Championship, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, UEFA Cup, CONCACAF and UEFA qualifiers, Premiership, Bundesliga, Eredivisie, various second-tier leagues, domestic cups and international friendlies.